


What Makes The Wind

by TheSwordAndTheQuill



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-08
Updated: 2016-10-08
Packaged: 2018-08-20 04:12:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8235704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSwordAndTheQuill/pseuds/TheSwordAndTheQuill
Summary: Vex'ahlia Vessar is the manager of the hottest nightclub in Emon.  The Hunter's Mark is all anyone is talking about, so why is she having such a hard time keeping staff?  When Keyleth sends her new friend Percy for a job interview Vex thinks maybe her luck is turning, he's capable, smart and attractive (not that she's looking of course). What she doesn't know is that there are things that stalk in the dark, and Percy's past may just come back to haunt them all.





	

_My father used to lay me on his chest_  
_And if I lay quietly enough I feel his breath_  
_If I lay quiet I remember who I am_

 _A little grown girl in a grown up skin_  
_God used to hold the whole world in his hands_  
_And if I lay quietly enough I feel his breath_  
_If I lay quiet I remember what it is_  
_The earth spins on it's axis and it makes the wind_

_~Super Duper (feat. REMMI & Yung Youth)_

“I have just solved all your problems!” The chipper voice announces. 

Its the first day of September and Vex’ahila doesn’t have enough hours in the day to count all her problems so she doubts the validity of this statement.Instead of saying so however, she looks up from the pile of receipts she’s been sorting and smiles at Keyleth who has just plopped herself down in the opposite chair. At Vex’s feet a large chocolate brown Newfoundland raises his shaggy had, tail thumping against the polished concrete floor. Vex reaches down absently to scratch him behind the ears.

“I’d ask how you got a key to the front door but I suppose we both know the answer so I wont bother.”Vex says, a grin belying her stern words.Keyleth’s expression is torn between embarrassment and that excited light which means she’s found herself a new ‘project’ something that can only spell trouble.

“Is that OK?”She asks, brushing a thick strand of copper red hair behind one ear, and then reaching over to pat the big dog stretched out on the floor between them.“Hello Trinket.When Vax gave me the key I didn’t really think about it, but the Hunters Mark is your club and I don’t want you think I’m—“Vex raises a hand before the other woman can run out of breath. 

“Darling, it’s fine.I’m just teasing.Believe me, if I didn’t want you here, you wouldn’t be here.”That was certainly true.When her father had decided to open a night club in Emon’s Upper East Side, Vex had been surprised, but when he’d asked her to manage it she’d been shocked. Two things she knew about Syldor Vessar, one, he wasn’t prone to things as frivolous as entertainment and two, he’d never expressed much faith in his oldest daughter’s abilities.At the time she’d been too stunned to ask many questions, but later it had come out that the club was part of some agreement he’d concocted with one of his business partners and whether it failed or succeeded was not as important as the fact that it had existed.But to the surprise of many, Vex most of all, the club had not just succeeded, it had flourished.Within six months of its opening the Hunter’s Mark was serving Emon’s most affluent on a nightly basis, the waiting list for a table was eight weeks.If her father was proud of her accomplishments he never said so.Vex had certainlynever asked.

“How is that brother of mine,”She asks, pushing away from the table and arching her back to get the kinks out.“I haven’t seen him all week.”It stings a little to say that, time was when going more than a few hours without seeing her twin was cause for worry, nothing happened to one that the other was not a part of.But over the last year they’d been seeing less and less of each other.Part of that was her fault, the club took up practically every spare minute of time she had, but part of it was due to the woman sitting across from her.Keyleth smiles and the sun seems to shine a little brighter through the high arched windows behind her. Vex is pretty sure her brother fell in love with this remarkable woman the moment he met her three years ago, and she can’t blame him.What she can blame him for is farting around for two and a half of those years and not doing anything about it despite the fact that both he and Keyleth were miserable the entire time.They seem to have worked it out now though, and Vex is happy for them. Doesn’t keep her from missing her brother sometimes. 

“He’s good.”Keyleth says, her smile radiant. “We’re putting the finishing touches on the loft this week.It’ll be all ready by next Saturday, well, maybe just don’t look in the closets…or under the bed. You’re still coming to dinner right?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t miss it. Jarret’s going to cover my shift and I’ll just come back to close up after.”Smiling Vex glances over at the clock on the wall, 4:30, time to get ready to open. She’s about to get up and gather her things when she remembers all all this began.

“Didn’t you say you had something to tell me?”

“OH!” Keyleth bounces in her chair and Vex bites back a sigh. Yep. Totally a new project.  “Yes!  You know how you told me your old bartender quit unexpectedly?”

“Yeah.” Vex says, a scowl forming between her dark eyebrows, “Clarence quit Monday, the fucker, didn’t even say why, just left a forwarding address for his last check.” The club wasn’t that big and it was always full. Being down one set of hands had proved an irritation Vex was looking forward to getting rid of, if she ever found the time to start looking for a replacement.

“Well, I found you someone.” Keyleth beams. Vex frowns.

“You found me someone?” 

“Yeah, there’s this guy I know, I met him at Gilmore’s a couple weeks ago, he gets coffee there a lot at we’ve started chatting.” Of course they had. Keyleth didn’t know a stranger, a fact that both amazed and sometimes profoundly worried Vex. It made her a good humanitarian, and a superb rescue shelter owner, but it also made her an easy mark sometimes. “He’s been looking for work without much luck and I asked if he’d bartended before and he said he had so I told him I might know something. I’ll see him tomorrow morning, let me send him to you.”  Vex groans and gathers her things before standing and heading for the bar.  Trinket clambers to his feet and pads along behind her.  She really shouldn’t let him in the bar she supposes, but they’ve been inseparable for the last three years and she always feels more ready to handle what life throws at her when he’s nearby. She has a feeling Keyleth is about to toss a curveball her way.

“Kiki, if this is another one of your strays…” 

“Its not like that.”The redhead says, then reconsiders. “OK. It might be like that a little, but he’sreally nice and I think you’ll like him.”Hopping up she follows her friend, coming to roost on one of the sleek black barstools. “Just talk to him, you don’t have to give him the job if you don’t want to, but at least give him a shot. For me?I think…he didn’t say anything, but I think he’s had a hard time lately.You could help each other. Its win-win!”Vex holds Keyleth’s gaze for a long moment before blowing out a breath and throwing up her hands in submission.

“OK. You win. I’ll give him one interview. But he’d better blow my socks off, I can’t let just anyone run the bar, you know how crazy it gets in here sometimes.”With a bright laugh Keyleth leans across the countertop and give Vex a huge hug before jumping down and heading for the door with all the energy of a fresh spring day. 

“Thank you!”  She calls, “He’s gonna be great! You can tell me all about it at the shelter on Friday.” 

“Yep.”  Says Vex, grinning in spite of herself.

“And don’t for get dinner next Saturday!”

“Keyleth, are you going to remind me of that every time we see each other for the next week and a half?”

“Sure am.”

“Alright. Bye.”

Keyleth just waves and then is out the door.Vex rolls her eyes affectionately and turns her attention to the rest of the afternoon’s work. 

***

“Are you fucking kidding me? Scanlan!”Her indignation is only match by the headache that is rising behind her left eye. Scanlan Shortholt, assistant Manager and sometime Lounge Singer, raises his hands in mock surrender. 

“Hey, don’t shoot the messenger. Its not my fault that the supplier can’t read.”  With a sigh he turns his attention to the boxes stacked around them in the store room. “The good news is I think the entire order is here. The bad news is none of the boxes are labeled correctly so we’re going to have to go through them one by one.” Vex groans and brings one hand up to rub at her aching temple.

“Alright. I’m sorry I snapped. Let me just—“She is interrupted by the sound of the front buzzer. 

“Who could that be?”  She asks, mentally ticking through her appointments.  The liquor restock they were dealing with, she’d made the run to the bank this morning, she was meeting Keyleth later in the week but—Keyleth—

“Shit.”

“Now what?” Scanlan looks up from the box of vodka he’s sorting through with a wary expression.

“I have that interview. For the bartending position. I totally forgot. Shit.”  She’s a mess, hair escaping her dark braid in flyaway swirls, tank top and jeans grimy and a little too sweaty for comfort.

“Do you want me to go?”  Scanlan asks, clearly eager to get out of restock duties.

“No. I promised Keyleth I’d see him.”  The buzzer sounds again, almost hesitantly, and Vex lets out a resigned breath. “OK. I’ll be right back. Thank you for dealing with this darling.”

“Yeah yeah.” he said, waving in dismissal, “Go have fun without me. I see how it is.” She laughs and heads towards the front of the building, giving her hair a few desperate swipes to try and regain some semblance of decency.

She pauses for a moment, studying the man standing on the other sided of the tinted windows.  She knows he can’t see in so she lets herself look him over briefly.  He’s tall, lean, his posture is impeccable and there is a certain note of arrogance in the way he holds his shoulders that she can’t help being intrigued by. His features are fine boned, long nose on which perches a pair of wire rimmed glasses, dark eyebrows (in contrast to the light mop of hair currently being tossed about by the breeze) and high cheekbones.  He is dressed in dark slacks, button up shirt and vest and she can’t help but admire all well they suit him. As she watches he fidgets with the strap of the leather messenger bag slung across his chest she reaches for the lock and pulls the door open.  The sun that streams in is brighter than she expects and she squints agains the sudden glare.

“Hi.”A voice says, and edge of uncertainty hovering in the background. “I’m here for the interview?” 

“Yes.” Vex says, opening the door further and stepping back to give him room.“Come on in.Sorry, about the delay, I was in the back.”He moves past her into the room and Vex shuts the door then turns to face him. His hair, she realizes with some surprise, is not blond like she’d assumed, but white. Not the dull silver of a dye job or the tinny yellow tinge of bleach, but as if he’d lived a hundred years and the only place it showed was his hair. With an embarrassed little laugh she shakes off the strange thought and holds out a hand. 

“I’m Vex’ahlia, and this, as you know, is the Hunter’s Mark.”  He takes her hand, his grip is warm and steady.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Percival—uh, Percival Fredrickson. You can call me Percy. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me.”

“You’re welcome Percy.” She motions to the bar. “Let’s get started shall we?”He follows her to the seats but before he can pull one out she says, 

“I was rather hoping you might make me a drink or two while we talk. What do you say?”  Its a bold request and she surprises herself a little bit by making it. Typically she’d wait until the second interview to ask for practical application, but she is desperate to fill the position and if one interview will suffice for two…well so much the better.  There’s also a little voice in the back of her head that is hungry to see him in action.  He hesitates for half a heartbeat, one eyebrow raised, then smiles easily at her and says,

“It would be my pleasure. What can I interest you in?”

“Hmmm.”  She pretends to consider for a moment, giving him a chance to orient himself behind the black glass countertop.  She watches as his eyes scan the available alcohols and mixes, she feels like she can practically see the gears moving in his head.  “How about something classic, something fresh and…dealer’s choice.” He grins saucily at her her and Vex has to force herself not to wink in return. He’s certainly charming, and that’s a good quality in a bartender, which is, of course, where her interest in the matter ends. He gets to work with a sharp nod and she forces her thoughts back to the interview.

“So,” She says, “tell me why you want to work with us here at the Mark?”

“To be perfectly honest.”He says, his attention focused on dropping ice cubes into the shaker with precise movements. “I need a job, I’ve been in Emon for a few months now and temping can only get a person so far. But that said,” He measures shots of liquor and juice into the shaker and flips it shut, giving the drink a good mix. “I do think I’d be useful here.I can talk to people, I can read them pretty well, and I’m good with my hands.” _I just bet you are_ , Vex thinks, watching his long fingers deftly pour the drink into a coupe glass and add a delicate curl of orange peel for garnish. He sets it down gently in front of her, and cleans his work space before beginning on his next drink. “I like Emon, its loud, diverse, lots of places to get lost here.” 

“Is that what you’re looking for?  A place to be lost?” She doesn’t mean to ask it, it just slips out, and she tenses waiting for his reply. If he’s bothered by the question, Percy doesn’t show it.  He also doesn’t answer.

“You haven’t tried your drink yet.” He says lightly, as he gathers gin, rosemary and lemon. Fair enough. 

“A Blood and Sand.”She says, reaching for the glass. “That’s a tough one, hard to get the balance right. A gutsy first choice.”Lifting the glass to her lips she catching him watching her out of the corner of his eye. She takes a small sip, and then a second deeper drink. Its mixed perfectly. Of course it is. “Its good.”She admits. “Very good.”

“I find.”  He says, a slightly smug grin curling the edges of his lips. “That the greatest risks often proffer the best rewards.  So, you’ve had the old. Here’s the new.”  He sets a delicate glass garnished with cloves in front of her.  Its delightful, light and unlike anything she’s had before.

“What’s this then?”  She asks, taking another sip.

“Its called The Way Home.It was the favorite of someone very dear to me once.So. Dealers choice for the third you said?Mind if we go classic again? This is one of my favorites.”She motions for him to go on. 

“So I should tell you a little about the place I suppose.”She says,“We’ve only been open about 6 months but business couldn’t be better. We have long lines and tight schedules, so I need everyone working together as a team. There isn’t room for individual egos. I’m here most nights, when I can’t be our assistant manager Scanlan takes over.We have two waitstaff, Kendrick and Cordell and two bouncers, Jarret and Shayne.Sometimes Jarret covers the odd shift if neither Scanlan nor myself can be here. Cordell’s pretty handy behind the bar too, so he fills in when he can. Uh, that’s about it. Any questions?”

“Just one.” Says Percy, nodding to the space behind her. “Who’s your friend?” Vex turns and laughs.  Trinket is meandering towards them, one ear flipped backwards from being slept on. He wags his tail when he sees he’s gotten her attention and comes to shove his huge head under her hand for scratches.

“Of course, how silly of me to forget our most important member, this is Trinket. He’s the real boss so you can take any complaints to him. He’s a very good listener.”She pats the dog’s massive head fondly then looks back up at Percy. His expression is odd, there’s something she can’t quite decipher behind his eyes but even as she thinks this, its gone, replaced with another smooth half smile.He puts a third glass down in front of her, the chill of the drink frosting the copper mug with thick condensation.She doesn’t have to take a taste to recognize it. Its one of her favorites too. 

“A Dark and Stormy. Very nice. But I’d pictured you as more of a scotch man.” The drink is good, rich and biting with just the right note of sweetness. 

“I do love a good scotch.”He says, cleaning up his workspace with practiced hands. “But dark rum…theres just something about it I find irresistible.” He smiles at her and she is hit again with just how attractive he is. _Down girl,_ She thinks, _hands off the hired help._

“So.”He says, leaning against the counter and looking at her through ice blue eyes. “What do you say?Do I make the cut?”She considers him for a long moment and then stands.

“Let’s give it a go. Why don’t we start with a two week trail, make sure we’re both happy with the arrangement. Will that work for you?” He nods, a smile with the barest hit of relief warming his expression. She puts out and hand and he shakes it. 

“That would be fantastic. Thank you so much.” 

“Fantastic.”She says, waiting for him to make his way back around the bar and then walking him to the door. “Why don’t you come back tomorrow at 9 and we’ll get all the paperwork taken care of?”

“Great. See you then.”  She lets him out and then closes the door behind him, watching as he heads off down the street and out of sight. When she turns around, Scanlan is there waiting for her.

“Really?”  He says, his expression half amusement and half exasperation.

“What.”She says, walking back over to the bar and beginning to gather her half empty glasses. 

“You do realize that was like, the worst interview ever right?Did you even ask him any questions or did you just enjoy the view for half an hour?” 

She flushes, damn Scanlan and his constant ability to see right through her.

“He knows his stuff, here.”  She hands him the rest of the Dark and Stormy.  “Besides, he’s a friend of Keyleth’s, that’s a point in his favor.”

“Vex, everyone is a friend of Keyleth’s.” He says, but she notices he finishes the drink in two gulps.

“Two weeks Scanlan, if you don’t think its working out then I’ll let him go at the end of it, I promise.”

“Well, its your prerogative, just don’t come crying to me when it turns out he has a hot girlfriend.or boyfriend…maybe both?”  He winks cheeky at her then turns to go before looking back at the glasses in her hand.

“Are you going to finish those? Seems a shame to let the go to waste…” 

With a laugh she hands him the other glass and moves back towards the stockroom. They still have a lot of work to do, but maybe things are beginning to look up.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a sucker for Modern AUs. There are never enough if you ask me. Be the change you want to see in the world. <3
> 
> Un-beted for now. Feedback always welcome. The hope is to update once a week.


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